Five mayors put wartime legacies aside to build a better world in Majevica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Armed conflict once tore apart Majevica in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Now five mayors have set out to put the area’s wartime legacies aside to build a better world for local communities.
“27 years ago, Majevica was the site of intense fighting. It is a dark stain on our history that has left a deep division in this area,” said Rado Savić, Mayor of Lopare. “As you can imagine, cultivating co-operation with such a painful divide has felt almost insurmountable. But we have managed to overcome that by joining forces for a greater good and with the support of the OSCE Mission to BiH and other important donors.”
The mayors of Majevica’s five municipalities — Čelić, Lopare, Sapna, Teočak and Ugljevik — began working together in 2019 through the Inter-Municipal Working Group Majevica, which was set up with the assistance of the OSCE Mission to BiH. The Group was a way for the municipalities to overcome economic challenges and boost development. Now the aim of the Group is to foster co-operation across the administrative Inter-Entity Boundary Line between the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to encourage local development around security, economics, and ecology.
“Inter-municipal co-operation in the Majevica region brings together various stakeholders around common interests. It is expected to translate into greater economic and business co-operation in the area of tourism and other sectors, as well as greater co-operation in the area of environmental protection. We hope the overall momentum will also attract future business investors, which could help to further develop Majevica,” said Tajib Muminović, Mayor of Teočak.
The Group has developed a variety of dynamic ways to work together. They have supported local institutions in enhancing their project planning skills, developed a tourism promotion strategy, and gathered young coders to create online promotion tools. They have also hosted four Via Majevica bicycle race events, developed numerous project proposals, and even produced a film called, “Majevica — A Different Story”.
“We are very pleased with the level of commitment and enthusiasm that the representatives of the five communities continuously demonstrate. Without their commitment, simply put, there would be no initiative. While we helped to kick off this co-operation, local leaders are now the ones driving this process,” said Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.
The OSCE Mission to BiH’s support has helped local officials with self-governance and forming partnerships and regional networks to better address common concerns and to develop new approaches to a plethora of challenges. These include environmental degradation, economic stagnation and a turbulent political climate. It has also assisted with developing project proposals to upgrade tourism infrastructure and sharing best practices and facilitating coordination through the Mission’s Tuzla field office.
Connecting the municipalities with potential donors has been another area of the Mission’s assistance. Recently, Germany supported the Group by committing to fund the de-mining of the Majevica area.
“We are particularly pleased that the positive developments and the commitment of Čelić, Lopare, Sapna, Teočak and Ugljevik have been acknowledged by donor countries. Germany’s recent donation, for example, has paved the way for a critical three-year demining project. And other donations are supporting a number of smaller-scale projects and activities,” Aggeler said.
Looking to the future, the Majevica Group plans to begin raising funds for the implementation of a local waste management action plan that was adopted by all five municipalities to help protect and preserve the environment. They are also planning to boost eco-tourism efforts to meet growing demand around the region’s natural beauty. The ongoing demining project is also expected to open new doors for collaboration around safety in the region.
“The Majevica Group demonstrates that tangible impact is possible when there is genuine commitment and political will to co-operate,” Aggeler said. “With this Group as an example, we are confident that more municipal and city administrations in BiH will embrace the benefits of sustained inter-municipal and inter-entity co-operation for greater collaboration and tangible results that will help build a better future for all.”
